Not Right Now

Recently, I met with Mr. Charles Kochakian, Opinion Editor, at the offices of the New Haven Register.  One of the questions that I was asked during the wide-ranging interview had to do with -‘how to achieve a reduction in government spending’?  I answered the question this way:

“Right now, how many American families need a new car; whether to replace and older car, or as a second vehicle for a working couple - but they can’t afford it? 

In their reality, “those families have to make do with the old clunker - for now; and, they hope the old car holds out for another fifty thousand miles; or, they have to keep making do with one person driving and the other taking mass transit or getting rides when and where they can. That’s because… when it comes to buying that new car, even though it is sorely needed, the appropriate answer is - ‘not right now’.  They know what’s appropriate – wise, and responsible – because… we ‘can’t afford it right now.

Millions of families - across America – necessarily are deciding … ‘not right now’… when it comes to a lot of things.

But, isn’t it funny - it isn’t really - how government never seems to say, ‘not right now’? When it comes to spending taxpayer money… the government never says ‘we can’t afford it’. Their answer is always - ‘spend the money’… whether we actually have it - or not.

It is time to require government to budget… the same way… American families have to.

It is time to require incumbents to decide… the same way… American Families have to.

It is time to retire big spending incumbents… obviously out of touch with American families.